Pantsman: I don't have any real issues with the inquisition, or the Papal Bull [order for inquisitors to use torture] you refer to, the middle ages were dangerous times, a tough hand was necessary. As the head of the Church the Pope was obliged to protect it, God has used war on unbelievers before, I wish we had another inquisition for those trying to subvert the Church from the inside today, which is what the inquisition was for.
PacMan: How does this differ at all from the modern Jihadist view? What's the difference between the Catholic "God" wageing war [torture] on heretics and "Allah" doing the same to infidels? Is this not ultimately a blatant support of terrorism?
First and foremost is the fact that Islamic jihad against infidels is against the entire non-Muslim world. All non-Muslims are infidels and it is legal to wage war on them if they are not living under Islamic rule. The inquisition was a short-lived legal system – considered the most enlightened and humane in its day – designed to question suspected heretics and root out heresy. Heretics were people professing Christianity, but teaching a heretical form of it. A professing Muslim, for example, could not be tried.
So if you’re reading this Pantsman, you might want to clue him in on this crucial difference.